Air cleaner



p R, A; KELSYEY mm. ,2

AIR CLEANER Filed March 22, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A, KELfiEY ET AL AIR CLEANER Filed March 22, 19410 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z QQQ A. mmw mm vw I AIR CLEANER Filed March 22, 1966 5 Sheaets-Sheet 3 :1 w cmkom Patented Apr. 29, i941 CLEANER Robert A. Kelsey and w l is Wright, San Diego,

Calit, assignors to .teromotive Components Corporation, a corporation of lialifomia Application March 22, 1940, Serial No. 325,36l

(ill. 1183-14) 2 Claims.

. This invention relates broadly to devices for separating solid particles, dust, and the like from gases, and is particularly intended for the purifying of air. Air cleaners in accordance with the invention are especially useful for cleaning the air drawn into the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, and the invention will be explained by desczibingin detail a specific embodimerit thereof adapted for use on an internal combustion engine.

A general object of the invention is to provide a gas cleaner that is relatively simple, reliable in operation, and has a high cleaning efliciency.

A more specific object is to provide a gas cleaner of the wet type employing a liquid to wet the dust particles to beremoved, in which the liquid and wetted dust particles are substantially completely removed from the gas stream without introducing a serious pressure drop in the gas stream.

A feature of the invention is a gas cleaner the wet type, in which the gas is first passed through a relatively coarse, substantially vertical screen over which a continuous stream of oil flows, after which the direction of flow of the wetted gas is shifted to eliminate therefrom by centrifugal force a substantial portion of the liquid and wetted dust entrained in the gas stream. Thereafter the gas stream is passed through contact precipitation material to further remove liquid particles and wetted dust, but because of the preliminary elimination of most of the liquid and wetted dust by centrifugal action,

the contact precipitation material can be rela-' tively thin, whereby it does not produce an excessive pressure drop in the gas stream.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is an elevation view of an air cleaner for an internal combustion engine, constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cleaner;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially in the plane III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the liquid pump of the cleaner;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken substantially in the plane V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section taken substantially in the plane VIVI of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a detail vertical section taken substantially in the plane VIIVII of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section taken in the horizontal plane VIII-VIII of Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a detail vertical section taken along the line IX--IX of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a detailvertical section taken in the plane X-X of Fig. 3.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the cleaner therein disclosed comprises a substantially cylindrical shell i having a bottom wall it integral therewith and adapted to be closed at the top by a cover 3 having a skirt it which fits over the upper edge of the case i. As best shown in Fig. 3, the bottom wall 2 is reentrant and has a central orifice through which projects a tubular member 5. The lower end of the member 5 projects below the reentrant portion of the bottom wall 2 and is adapted to fit into the upper end of a discharge pipe 6 (Fig. i), this discharge pipe constituting the intake pipe of the internal eombustion engine with which the device is to be used.

Air enters the device through louvers l uniformly distributed circumierentiaily in the cover 3. After entering through the louvers l the air flows radially outwardly and downwardly between the cover 3 and a bafie wall t, the lower edge of this baflle 8 terminating a short distance below the upper edge 9 of the case i.

After flowing past the edge of the bafiie t the air continues downwardly between the cylindrical wall it of the case i and an inner cylindrical wall it s aced radially inward from the wall it. At substantially the midlevel of the cleaner, the cylindrical wall ii merges into a. pair of concentric cylindrical screens l2 and it, respectively, through which the air flows radially inwardly into a chamberA of annular configuration, the outer wall of which chamber is defined by the wall 8 l and the screen it, the upper wall of which is defined by a screen it and the bottom wall by a disc-shaped member [15.

The screen it extends upwardly and outwardly in substantially inverted conical form and supports a'condenser screen it of metal gauze or turnings, or the like, which exposes a large surface to the air stream. Above the condenser screen it is a chamber B through which the air flows inwardly and downwardly into the tubular member 5 from which it is discharged.

The structure so far described would have no efiective filtering action in dry condition. However, when thedevice is in use a stream of oil or other suitable liquid is maintained over the outer surface of the wall H and down over the screen l2, maintaining the latter wet all times and tending to fill the interstices of the screen with the oil. As the air moves through of the dust particles are absorbed into the oil. droplets or in the oil film on the screens it and is by direct contact therewith.

As previously explained, the air stream after assua e passing through the screen it into the chamber A, has to turn upwardly and pass through 0011- denser screen it before it can escape into the tubular member 5. This involves a change in direction which throws out most of the larger dust particles and the larger droplets of 011. Some of these particles, dislodged by centrifugal force. are thrown against a gimp winding no on a tubular member ll, the latter surrounding the tubular member 55 and having an outwardly flared skirt B8 on its lower edge, which serves to retain the winding We.

The particles and droplets which are not heavy enough to drop on the floor iii or impinge upon the gimp winding lla, enter the condenser screen it and are trapped therein. The greater portion of the heavier particles and droplets enter the central and lower portion of the condenser screen it, which portion is preferably somewhat thicker than the peripheral portion, to reduce the velocity of the air therethrough and reduce the possibility of dust particles or oil droplets being carried through the condenser screen. To further reduce the possibility of oil particles being carried directly through the inner portion oi the condenser screen it, an upwardly and outwardly flared battle member 29 is preferebly provided on the upper end of the member Hi, this baffle member 29 deflecting the air stream outwardly and preventing it from taking an extremely short path from the upper edge of the condenser screen it into the tubular memher 3. The baffle 29 not only reduces the possibility of all being carried over into the discharge passage but apparently substantially reduces turbulence and eddy currents within the chamber B, because it results in a reduction in the total pressure drop required to force air through the cleaner. Most of the air flows up along the underside of the condenser screen id and passes through the outer thinner portion thereof into the chamber B, from which it passes down into the tubular member 5, and is discharged.

Sumcient 'oil is carried into the condenser screen it by the air to maintain the screen thoroughly wetted at all times, so that any dust particles that may have passed through the screens i2 and id to the chamber A without contacting the oil, are almost certain to be entrapped on the oil-coated surfaces of the condenser ecreen it.

is oil is constantly being carried into the condenser screen it by the stream or air flowmg therethrough, the oil accumulates until it.

flows inwardly and downwardly to the member ll" and downwardly therealong and over the shirt it] iromjwhich it is free to drip onto the horizontal wall 135, constituting the floor oi the chamber A. The oil on the floor i5 can flow outwardly along the floor and through the lower edges of the screens 63 and 52, into an oil sump 0. However, the flow of air radially inwardly above ,the floor tends to carry the oil. accumulating thereon inwardly through an annular passage iii below the skirt is and thence downwardly past the inner edge of the floor it, and then outwardly through an annular passage 29 formed between the floor l5 and the reentrant bottom of wall 2, into the sump C. An annular bame wall 2i divides the sump and reduces sloshing and slopping of the oil in the sump. This baiiie does not seal with the bottom wall 2 so that oil can always flow slowly past the baflie.

Eirculation of'oil over the outer screen 52 is maintained by continuously pumping oil from the sump G into an oil reservoir D in the upper part of the cleaner from which it flows by mam ity radially outwardly in all directions over the upper edge of the wall ll. Circulation is eifected by a pump 25 which will be described in detail later, this pump drawing oil from the sump C through an intake pipe 26 and discharging the oil through openings 21 of the pump 25 directly into the'chamber D. The intake end 263 of the pipe 26 is positioned above the bottom of the oil sump C so that heavy sediment accumulating in the bottom of the sump is not recirculated.

As particularly disclosed in Fig. 3, the wall it is formed of two thicknesses of metal, the inner member 351? being formed continuous with a slotted wall it supporting the screen i l, which in turn supports the screen it, and the outer thickness 3i being formed continuous with an inner dome member 32 which forms the ceiling of the air chamber B and the 23001 oi the oil reservoir D. The lower edge of the inner wall member is folded to engage and support the upper edgeof the screen it and the lower edge of the outer wall member 35 is folded to engage and support the upper edge oi the outer screen l2.

The loafile wall member previously referred to, defines with the outer portion of the dome member 32 a thin annular passage for the overflow of oil from the reservoir D. The battle 8 is supported in uniformly spaced relation with respect to the dome 32 at the highest portion thereof by a plurality of indentations 33 therein (Figs. 3, 8 and 9) the indentations resting upon the Home 32,

The outer and lower edge portion of the bafie 8 is of a diameter to fit snugly against the upper cylindrical portion of the wall ill but is pressed out at circumferentially spaced points to define a plurality of oil discharge openings 3 3 for the discharge ofoil onto the wall H. as previously described. By employing the passages 3d at spaced intervals, the total flow of oil can be maintained relatively small without having passages of very small width, which would be subject to clogging. It is desirable to maintain the total cross sectional area of the passages 855 small enough so that the pump 25 can maintain a slight head of oil thereon, thereby insuring substantially uniform flow through all of the passages 23 i irrespective oi slight tilting motion of the cleaner as a whole. ,It will be obvious gravity distribution were depended upon for uniform overflow past the indentation at all peripheral points on the dome then unifom oil how to sides of the cleaner could only he obtained; when the axis of the cleaner was en actly perpendicular.

Although the oil flows from the discharge pessages :36 onto the upper portion of the i i at definite, spaced apart points thereon, the oil spreads out in a film as it flows down from the well it onto the screen 22 and spreads to a still greater extent over the screen.

Although the present cleaner does not require any special type of oil pump for-circulating the oil, there has been disclosed a relatively simple vacuum-operated pump adapted to be connected to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine with which the cleaner is used. As shown in Fig. 3, the pump 25 fits into a central recess, filling the recess. It alsoextends upwardly into a turret 35 in the cover member. a. tube 36 extends through the side of the turret 35 and provides the vacuum connection to the pump r ones ont 1..

Referring now to his. 4, the pump comprises e, cosine defined by e. pair of flanged elements including on upper element it end a. lower element it which elre clamped together by screws The flanges on the elements ill end it eneege nncl support end seal with the outer edge of n flexible diophrngm til which divides the interior oi the case into on upper vacuum coni- ,ipertrnent "E onel n lower oil com ortment i The iierible diaphragm til is clumped et its center to n stein il which n vertically slirloble in o. eulrlewev it tenured in the runner cosine mem ber it compression spring compressed hetween the upper eicle oi the rllnnhrneni it enrl o well member it oi the upper nosing member eonstnntlv urges the tiiohhreern :39 into the lower most position, no shown in l te. al.

The lower or oil coninnrtrnent is in eonstont eomrnunientiou with the oil when (the. 3) through the oil line nnrl is oriented to he connected with the oil tilsclinrge noeseees 23 oreviouslz referred to. be" hell check velve .ieeteti ngeinst the untlereltie oi on orifice nlnte Jo lav e. compression spring ill. The bell norrnnllv eenls l the opening in the nnerture nlnte 1 6 out opens in response to rlownwnrn movement of the riionhrnern ii) to permit the riischeree of oil from the chamber l through the nnseeges it.

it will he apparent irozn the structure so ier described that when the chernher E is connected to the vacuum line til, the ninphreem tit will be drawn upwardly oeeinst the iorce oi spring 613 to draw oil into the chamber it" through the oil intelze line the valve hell lt tor-eventing return oi oil or elr into chen'lher i from the oil reservoir D (t le. 3). (in the other hem-l, when the chamber E is disconnected from the vneuurn line end is conneeteel etrnosphere, the s rine til moves the riiepln'oem ill boot: clown into lower position, iorcinn the oil in chernber F out post the valve til end throueh the discharge opening 2i. enie oil it wise returned bnclr through the oil inteke line it because oi the loot that there is no checlr valve provided in the letter. However, the spring ll'i is very light one bell lit opens renelilv to provide or levee elitchnree twosome so thet the resistance to flow oi oil from chornber i out through the ellsclrnrne nosseees ti e. street neol less then the resietnnce to ilcw boeir through the oil intntze line so that V gorecticniigv oil oil. the oil is lisffilelrfififi through merit oi .n'ni l in to vneuurn reletivei slow hecnnse of resistonce of oil through the rlownwnrrl increment lav the spring ilt is very rnnirl because or? the low iricticnnl resistance to ilultl flow post the vnlve Referring now to t les. 5, it one i, the on line teeter. in on unworthy directed orifice (its enol rilreetiv shove this orifice is e. vent nine comrnunlcotlne through the well of the upper cosine member 3'? with the ntrnosphere. The lower end of thisvent pine til terminates in on orifice till which is positioned directly shove the orifice it. it flop vnlve ill is plvotnllv mounted on the well member lit by e. pivot lit for rocirine motion between on upper position, in which n vieldeble insert (Fin. 7) in the valve seels the'orifice til and 9. lower position in which the insert seals the orifice til. The valve mergiiter iii is ectuoted by movement of the then it through stem ll by rnenns oi toggle mech functioning in o eenerni ninr .nmilor to the velve rnechenism employee veonurn we unwerrl reeve operated windshield wiper motors. Thus there is also mounted on the same lug 5t and by the some pivot pin 52 that supports the valve ti, o control arm ti, the outer end of which is extended at right angles to form a. tip 5t (Fig. 5) engaged in e groove 5t (Fig. 4) formed in the pin ll near the upper end thereof. This con strains the arm hi to oscillote up and clown with movement of the diaphragm tit. The arm tl pivotolly engages one enol of o spring link the other end of which engages the valve lit. The entls of the spring member til, both of which ere nivotnlly connected to the ill end the 'velve ti, respectively, tend to seperete so thnt when the pin it is in lower position, or shown in 6, the erpension of the s rine holds the valve lit in upper position, closing the tile nhregm vent In this position, the vacuum line is connected to the chamber E omit the is exhausted thereiroin, lifting the tilepln'eern entl the ii. Slightly before the oin. reeehes its upper limit of movement, the errn passes the valve til en thet the expending iorce the spring til thereniter urges the valve 5i downwardly the letter flops suddenly from upper position into lower postion, in which the vncuuni orifice it is closed but the diaphragm vent it is opened. Thereupon the spring (Fig. l) moves the diaphragm tit end the pin ti downwerdly until the em all passes slightly below the valve 59, whereupon the expanding force of the spring tilt flops the valve boclr into upper position. The notion described continues as long are vacuum is maintained in the vacuum. line lit.

in the use of the cleaner, ell dirt entl clust thet is separated from the oir nccumulotes in the oil sumo C, which sump must be slowed out from time to time. The elements oi the clenner hove been assembled in such o. er no to permit eesv rllsossernblv for the purpose oi cleoning the sump C. The bottom wall member 2 oi the outer cosine is permanently secured, es lay welding to the inner tubular member t, constituting the air rlisehoree passage. However, the shirt member ii is sliolebly fitted on the tubular member 5 end is normally retained. in position hr e. lonyonet slot in the member ill, which ensures er eletent (Figs. 3 end lb) on the 'tubuler member 'fr urthermore, the well meun her suonortlne eondenslng screen it, is pernnnnentlv seeuren es in; welding to the them" 1.. ill. irlrvionslv the well it is else secured. to the i l well it is ettecherl through the ill one. if to the floor pinto enrl the Tiiel'fifille hr rotsitine' the mernher i l to neleese the tletent from the horitontel portion oi the hen onet slot t5, the entire inner ossenihly one the cover "l they be lifteti ewnv from the cosine it end the tubuler member obviously this leaves the sump C reodlly ecces sible through the open top of the casing l for thorough cleaning, otter which the inner assembly may be restored to position by moving it riown into the casing with the vertical pert oi the bayonet slot ht in alignment with the detent end then rotating the inner osseinblv end the cover l with respect to the nosing i to carry the detent tt into the horizontal orm oi the bayonet slot.

For eonvemence, the cleaner has been eleserihed for use on on internal combustion en wine, but it will be understood that it is equally useful on other devices, such, for instance, oir compressors.

titthough tor the purpose of explee the invention a particular embodiment thereof has been described in detail, it is understood that various departures can be made from the particular construction disclosed without departing from the invention except as defined in the appended claims.

We claim: V

1.' A device of the type described, comprising: a first casing member having inner and outer concentric cylindrical walls interconnected at their lower edges to define an annular receptacle open at the top; a cover element adapted to fit the upper end of said outer cylindrical wall; an inner member having a peripheral wall of diameter intermediate the inner and outer cylindrical walls of said first casing member, a. top closure wall therefor; the lower portion of said first casing member constituting a sump for liquid and the peripheral wall of said inner member dipping into said liquid to seal therewith, said peripheral wall of said inner member having a filter element therein for the passage of gas therethrough, and means for admitting gas into the space between said first casing member and said inner member, in which said cover element is provided with gas inlet openings and said top closure wall of said inner member is spaced a substantial distance below said cover element, the said top closure wall being depressed at the center to define a liquid reservoir, means for delivering liquid to said reservoir, and an auxiliary wall positioned intermediate said cover element and said top closure wall and. defining therebelow a passage for liquid from said reservoir to the outer edg of said top closure wall, and defining with said cover element a gas passage.

2. A device of the type described, comprising: a first casing member having inner and outer concentric cylindrical walls interconnected at their lower edges to define an annular receptacle open at the top; a cover element adapted to fit the upper end of said outer cylindrical wall; an inner member having a peripheral wall of diameter intermediate the inner and outer cylindrical walls of said first casing member, and a top closure wall therefor, the lower portion of said first casing member constituting a sump for liquid and the peripheral wall of said inner member dipping into said liquid to seal therewith, said peripheral wall of said inner member having a filter element therein for the passage of gas therethrough, and means for admitting gas into the space between said first casing member and said inner member, ineans attached to saidinner member and defining therewith an oil reservoir, means on said inner member for delivering oil from said reservoir to said filter elements in said porous wall, liquid pumping means mounted on said inner member and having discharge passages communicating with said liquid reservoir, said inner member also having a liquid intake pipe mounted thereon and extending into the lower portion of said first casing memher, said entire inner member being detachable as a unit from said first casing member by upward movement therefrom.

ROBERT A. KELSEY. HARRY WRIGHT. 

